Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Wood Buffalo and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. And I am your host Elliot. Pierre, we'll start the show off the same way we start every show off with a little bit of gratitude. Thank you so much for tuning in. I really do appreciate it. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time. So it really does mean the world to me, that you're spending with us. I know I say it a lot, but I mean it, every time on that note, Tanner hit him with it.
Speaker 1 00:00:24 Oh, she caught me LOBs. You're listening to the next anymore.
Speaker 0 00:00:33 All right. So this is a monumental episode because we have our first. Yes, our first repeat guest. You excited about this Tanner. I am indeed. Me too. We got lit. This is the second show for this lady. I'm pumped. So as you know, I don't introduce my guests. They can do a better job at that than myself. So on that note, can you please re-introduce yourself to everybody at home?
Speaker 2 00:01:00 Hi everybody. I am Jessica Laska. I'm a local ultra-marathoner.
Speaker 0 00:01:06 There you go. Now you just did a huge ultra marathon, not a marathon. You did a huge run. I don't know what, what do you call him this thing?
Speaker 2 00:01:14 Um, I think you would call it ultra marathon, but it's, it's kind of technical. It's staged rather than straight, like time doesn't stop. Right.
Speaker 0 00:01:25 So how many kilometers did you just run?
Speaker 2 00:01:29 Uh, it was one 97 point something
Speaker 0 00:01:32 197 kilometers. And how many days? I did it in four days and four days in the middle of the winter? Yes. Average temperature being. It was
Speaker 2 00:01:42 Super mild though. Right before we went it
Speaker 0 00:01:44 Wasn't. What was the time? If it's, if it has a negative in front of the numbers,
Speaker 2 00:01:49 Actually, I don't know if it even did. I think it was like six
Speaker 0 00:01:52 Degrees maybe. No, no,
Speaker 2 00:01:54 Not lucky. It makes this snow really, really soft. So it becomes almost like running through sand.
Speaker 0 00:02:01 So it was harder. Oh, and better for you. I love it. Like you are so resilient. So for the people at home, like your journey changed so many times. So initially, what was the initial run you were running up North through where
Speaker 2 00:02:19 I was supposed to run all the way to Fort Smith. And then because of COVID, uh, parks, Canada didn't build the road past. Um, so they build the road from Fort chip to Fort Smith. Um, and they were approached by Northwest territories and asked not to build it because it's probate and they agreed. Right. So then I was like, okay, no big deal. I could just run to Fort chip. It doesn't have to be the full way this time I can, you know, do that next year, something like that. Right. So that I had been planning to run to Fort chip for the longest time. And then a week before we left, uh, some concerns were raised by the community about the, um, the shortened season of the road. Uh, we had so many mild periods that they kept having closures and because they're so remote and they only have the winter road, they have a short window to get all their flu fuel and supplies delivered. Right. So picture of that with so many closures, suddenly their window was much, much shorter and they were concerned about my safety and it concerned about delaying. So I listened and like a week before we were set to go, I changed the route again.
Speaker 0 00:03:35 Yeah. And so where do you end up running?
Speaker 2 00:03:38 I ended up running, um, South towards Anzac around Stony mountain wild-land and back. Right. It's basically where I had been training all winter and I just connected all the trails together. Yeah. And I had that as a backup plan on the whole time anyways, just in case, so right. And it ended up working out.
Speaker 0 00:03:56 Yeah. So you're running middle of the winter, new route, familiar new route weather conditions are completely different than what you thought you were going to be running. You were preparing for like frigid cold. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:04:11 I had been overnighting and like minus 40 training and in minus 40. And then when it came to go time, it was nothing I had ever ran in. You know what I mean? Normally when it comes springtime, like that I'll run on sidewalks just to avoid. So it was totally new. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:04:30 Yeah. So what was that experience like? Like you were the clothes that you packed, the shoes that you packed, like completely different there there's soap now. Yeah. Like not because of sweat because of like slush. So what was like the running in that, like what was like afterwards, like, uh, hanging up your clothes at night, how did you deal with these new conditions?
Speaker 2 00:04:51 Well, it started with my food. I had been planning to bring a lot of fat bombs cause they're high calorie, high fat, uh, but they melt. So, um, I had to switch that out and like on the day before go find, I think I chose taco covered almonds and taco covered reasons as a replacement. So once that was done, then I, I wore capris instead of my normal leggings and I wore my summer socks. Right. So it was an interesting combination because I had to choose between, okay, I'm wearing capris, but I still need my Gators to keep the snow to my shoes. Right. But it's so hot. So either I'm so hot that like, I, my feet are moist because of that or it's cause I'm kicking snow into my own shoes cause I have no Gators. That's right. That's right. So it was, I had to make some on the fly decisions and uh, luckily like the route that I chose had a lot of fire pits along it and they had wires for hanging your clothes over it. So I just hung my shoes every night on my socks. Cause I went through a whole audit.
Speaker 0 00:06:07 No doubt, no doubt. Okay. Now the shoes that you had, like you're still running these, are they destroyed or they're game over? No. No, they're good. They go ahead.
Speaker 2 00:06:17 We're good. Up until like 500 kilometers. Okay. Yeah. So I got a couple hundred left.
Speaker 0 00:06:22 Okay. Now, in regards to the sleeping arrangements, you kept the whole way, obviously.
Speaker 2 00:06:27 So I would get into camp, uh, after my run and I would, uh, I would have to cook my food, melt snow for my water bottles the next day and set up my tent and, um, had a nice lightweight tent. So only like 1.17 pounds. Okay. Yeah. So it was interesting. It was an interesting change from, uh, being used to having tents set up for you and food cooked and definitely having more.
Speaker 0 00:06:58 Yeah. You got to boil your own water every day.
Speaker 2 00:07:00 Yeah. Yeah. It was, it took forever. And then I always, I always wound up having like pine needles and old man's beard.
Speaker 0 00:07:10 Oh, that's hilarious. So what was the timeline? So how long on average were you running per day? Would you say?
Speaker 2 00:07:20 I had planned to do 50 K a day. Okay. But, um, the first campsite wound up being 60 K away. So they one was 60 and then because of the mild weather, we were due to have three really mild days and then freeze up again. So I only did about 36 for the second and third day each and wound up saving the last 60 for the
Speaker 0 00:07:47 Freeze up day. Yeah. Which was a
Speaker 2 00:07:49 Good decision because by the end of the day three from, um, like basically hiking in the soft snow and pulling my sled through it, I was just done. I was done. Like I just staggered into practically staggered into our campsite and I didn't know like, how the hell am I supposed to do this again tomorrow? Like I am totally blasted, but I did. And it was firmer. So it ended up being a lot more enjoyable.
Speaker 0 00:08:19 Yeah. So no, you get to your campsite, you're done. You're finished. You still got to set up everything. You still cook. So like how, what amount of time is spent setting up cooking, melting water? How, how many more hours are you up until you can go to bed?
Speaker 2 00:08:35 Good question. Because I remember when I was training for this, I kept thinking, what am I going to do with all my time? Because I'm going to be done at five. And then you have the whole night, like, what am I going to do? Maybe I should meditate, take a meditation, but there's so much chores to do that. It's and it seems to take forever that by the time you finished it's bedtime anyways. So I would be done. I would be cooking my food. And that takes a while. You gotta wait, like you had to boil the water, which takes forever. And it's funny cause the guys had a jet boil. I had this stove that's supposed to be better for really cold, but so much slower than the jet boil. So they would be sitting there watching me as I'm cooking, like boiling my water and melting my smell and it's taking forever. So yeah, I think it took at least four hours every night.
Speaker 0 00:09:30 Wow. Yeah. Wow. Exhausting. Yeah, it was,
Speaker 2 00:09:36 But it was interesting. It was fun.
Speaker 0 00:09:38 Okay. So interesting and fun. That leads me into my next question. You said you were planning on potentially doing this again. You said like,
Speaker 2 00:09:47 Well, yeah, so I, I had told myself when the whole, um, all the way to Fort Smith wouldn't happen that I would do it next year. But now that next year is here. I actually ended up registering for the, I did a ride. So I'm going to do the,
Speaker 0 00:10:03 I did rod now. Yeah. But
Speaker 2 00:10:05 I'm still going to do a local one here just as much shorter. I really enjoy the whole experience adventuring here and like documenting it and showing people. Yeah. So I'm going to do that one in January. And then I did her Ross end of February.
Speaker 0 00:10:20 Okay. And I, so we had a guest earlier in the week, Willie, Willie from Shaw came by. Yeah. He was hanging out with us for a bit. So he came out and they did some videography work for you guys. That's awesome. So I saw some of their stuff went out for you. Like, man, they're good at what they do. But some of the V like they're extremely talented individuals. So are you putting something bigger out with Shar? They just came to document some of you while you're
Speaker 2 00:10:45 Well, so they're putting something together, but mind you Shaw's bits are usually about five minutes and they're struggling to make it only five minutes. Cause there's so much material. So they're thinking they're, they're going to make it like a part, one part, two type thing. Cool. And then we might, um, put it into the bam film festival.
Speaker 0 00:11:04 Yeah. Oh, that'd be Epic.
Speaker 2 00:11:07 Yeah. I think it'd be pretty cool. It's really neat to see. Um, they do do a really good job and it was last minute we had to find a Skidoo for them. They, both of them, neither of them had Skidoo experience. So it was, it could have gone so many ways. We're very fortunate that it ended up going smoothly. It worked,
Speaker 0 00:11:33 It works. Say that. Yeah. That's awesome. All right. We're part of the show where Tom is going to ask you the maxi minute. You already know what the segment's about. So you killed it last time. I have no doubt that you killed it this time. Tanner hit her with the Mac city minute question. Number one. What was the coolest part of your past run?
Speaker 2 00:11:51 Uh, I'd say the needles in my water
Speaker 3 00:11:56 Question. Number two. What draws you to doing the idea rods so much?
Speaker 2 00:12:01 Just the allure of the idea of pushing yourself so hard in the harshest of conditions.
Speaker 3 00:12:08 Question number three. How did you celebrate your completion of your run with a Mike burger?
Speaker 0 00:12:14 Uh, Mike Berger, uncle Mike Baker. Mike, Mr. Mike is right. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:12:20 Question number four. What is something you learned from your run?
Speaker 2 00:12:24 I learned that I need to take credit for things that I do that I can, that I worked so hard for.
Speaker 3 00:12:32 And your final question, how do you feel about getting so much attention? Doing what you love?
Speaker 2 00:12:37 It feels strange.
Speaker 0 00:12:43 Yeah. It is kind of weird, right? When, like you're just doing something like, I know people are watching this. Right. And I, when I used to make like my little videos that I would put online, like I, I know people are watching and I see the numbers, but you kind of take it for granted, like the numbers, just like, Oh whatever. And then when people like approach you and like, right. And he was like, Oh yeah, that's right. People are watching this. It's a weird, it's totally weird.
Speaker 2 00:13:07 No. And people are like, Oh, Hey, I followed you. And I'm just like, like I know people are following me, but it just, it just seems so strange.
Speaker 0 00:13:16 Yeah. It's a weird thing to get over. Yeah. When people like, and because of what this is, like, I share a lot of who I am. You get to know my personality a little bit. Um, what I like to eat and stuff. And so people will come up, like when I go to restaurants, now I'll be like, Hey, are you going to do did it today? And they're like, I'm like, how do you know that? And I'm like, Oh, it's because I said all the show. Yeah. I forgot people watch. Yes. So yeah, it is interesting. So Mr. Did you know that was going to be your, your, uh, burger of choice or your meal of choice afterwards? Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:13:50 I love that. I love their burgers and their primaries on Pfizer. Good too. There's just something about that.
Speaker 0 00:13:56 Yeah. All right. Intro. I love burgers. I love burgers. So we're going to have to give them a try a Towner. Why not? Yeah, man. So did they, did they know like, Hey, get my burger ready? I'm coming in or was it a surprise? Definitely.
Speaker 2 00:14:11 Um, excuse me, Mr. Mike's I'm coming in.
Speaker 0 00:14:15 Yeah. I just did 198 kilometers, like have it nice and ready for it. That's funny. So I, uh, went to the running room a few weeks ago. Oh yeah. Yup. And I tried on some of the shoes that you run with. What's the brand called again? Ultra. Um, it's not what I ended up getting just because the lady, when I was, uh, walking and she's like, okay, these are like the shoes you should get. I ended up and this is weird. Um, I ended up getting a pair of Brooks. Have you ever heard, you've heard a Braveheart? Well, this is my thing with Brooks. Brooks used to be a cheap Zeller. Yes. Back in the day. And so I tried on a bunch of shoes and as far as running shoes, like price, isn't an issue. Like I'm going to use them. I don't mind spending the money on them.
Speaker 0 00:15:04 So she busted out these Brooks and they were super expensive as well, by the way. But I was like, I can't, I'm not wearing Brooks. Like in my head it was like, they're these cheap Zeller shoes. Anyways. I tried everything on and they were the ones that I ended up like feeling the most comfortable with. And I've been running with them for about a week now. They're awesome. So big shout out to Brooks. You guys make some bang and shoes. You're not the Zellers ugly shoes that you used to be. You look cool. And like you're really functional. Born from the ashes. Yeah. So I went on their website, I guess they've totally rebranded. And now they're just like their running shoe. Um, yeah. So Brooks, I don't think clothing too. Yeah. But they're like a running company now. Yeah. Yeah. Back in the day, I'm telling you I had a pair. I had a pair of Brooks. I was super embarrassed to wear them. Just like champion old champion
Speaker 4 00:15:55 Champion. You used to be a Walmart brand.
Speaker 0 00:15:58 That's right. Champion. But champion was like, that was the weird thing about champion though. They used to have like their cheaper clothing that they'd have at like Walmart or Zellers or wherever. However, like they used to sponsor the MBA. So you'd buy a basketball Jersey, which costs like 80 bucks. And it have champion on them in basketball shorts. So like, it was an expensive brand, but
Speaker 4 00:16:20 Like not for everything,
Speaker 0 00:16:22 Not for everything. Champion was a weird one, but yeah. Now champions back in a big way, like it's super trendy champion and Carhartt. That's a brand where I'm just like, is that the Tuk that yeah. The ladies are wearing these days. That's right. But it's workwear. Like I used to give guys Carhartt jackets for work and like, it's, it's a S it's a brand that's very like functional and, uh, yeah. It's turned into like, same with Tim's. Yeah, Tim.
Speaker 4 00:16:52 Yeah. They they're just work boots. Right. Uh, people love it.
Speaker 0 00:16:56 People love them. And I have a pair of ridiculously expensive, uh, red wings work boots. And I'm telling you, I don't, I don't go out to site, but they look cool. So, but yeah. Anyways, the reason I bring it up is I did go and I tried on your shoes. They were very comfortable. I like them. Um, but I ended up going with, uh, the Brooks, which Hey, so far Brooks. Yeah. Whatever works for you. Awesome shoe. Yeah. I was that's right. That's right. I was wearing Asics for years. And there was a sweet pair of Asics. I wish it was a, it was a hard choice there. They're called the Tokyos and they are like bright orange. And I was like, yeah, I like the look of them were so legit and they're like 400 bucks. Um, and I wanted to get those, but the Brooks just felt better.
Speaker 0 00:17:50 But I started with Asics too. Yeah. They're wider. I found that's right. Yeah. These ones. And the lady was telling me, I never knew about this. She's like, they're more game or race day shoes, I guess like race day shoes. I was like, what's the difference? And she's like, I would like to know too, because I was like, is it because like, the colors are so outrageous? Like you wanna cause they were, um, and she's like, no, no, no. They just don't have the same type of a shelf life. You're not going to get as many kilometers out of them. I'm like, Oh, so she's like, yeah. They're like, they're a lighter. And, but they're not built for the longevity as some other shoes. I was like, well, that's interesting. I'm like, well, you got it. Like, I would never just put on a new pair of shoes for the day I'm running.
Speaker 0 00:18:35 Like you'd want to break them in. And she's like, yeah. Yeah. But I've done that. You have wore new shoes day one. Ooh, my second 50 K yeah. Brand new ice bugs. Your feet were destroyed. They were fine. Really? Yeah. Wow. Yeah. I, everything I do seems to go against the grain, but it works for me. Good for you. I was, I was ready for you to say, Oh, I had blisters and shin splints. And I was just like, and then, uh, when I ran that stage race in Costa Rica, they lost my luggage on day one. I was wearing all new everything and I was fine. You you're just very lucky. You're very lucky. So that's the end of the show though? 20 minutes on Tanner, just pointed to his washing, probably going over. We've been going over a lot lately. Sorry about that, everybody at home.
Speaker 0 00:19:30 But before we let you go, uh, please, one more time. Tell everybody who you are, where they can follow you because I know you're going to continue doing adventure. So how can people follow your journey? Yeah. So I'm Jessica Lesco. You can follow my journey on, she runs North on Facebook or Instagram and I'll be doing training this summer weight training, getting ready for the idea rod and also do another local adventure in January, probably methane Portage. Very cool. All right. Well on that load for McMurry wood, Buffalo and the rest of the world, that's another episode of the Mac city morning show. Thank you very much for tuning in. I really do appreciate it. Hopefully you're having a nice day and we'll see you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 00:20:12 <inaudible> talk about quenching your ugly thirst.
